Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Episode 4- The Northern Lights
by Steel Kiba
Summary: Our heroes enjoy fun in the sun during a school trip to the beach, led by Misty, anticipating the arrival of the centennial meteor shower. Rita is also awaiting the cosmic event, as it promises to reveal the answer to a prophecy, and sends down a toxic sea monster to sicken every living being in sight. Ash, Misty, Brock, Tracey, OC Lia, OC Hayashi, Rita, and her monsters!
1. Beachside

"Alright kids! Gather round here!"

They piled off of the rubbery floors of the large, chugging yellow bus and onto the soft, soft white sand. Smiles took over the children's mouths, the sun illuminated their skin, and the salty sea breeze went up everyone's noses. Today was the Feron Grove Elementary field trip to the beach, where the kids would get to study sea life and water Pokémon up close.

"Okay, so everyone's got their group together, right?" Misty asked. The students all nodded and spoke in affirmation, separating themselves into three units. Misty, who was helping head up the field trip, stood by a group of children, a couple of other high-school volunteers assuming their groups as well.

The children's science teacher, Ms. Mika, came off the bus with Tracey and Lia, who were helping carry bags of equipment.

"I can't thank you kids enough for helping out today," Ms. Mika said, getting into stride with everyone as they started toward the shore. "The students are going to have such a great time today."

"We're always glad to lend a hand," Tracey said, drawing a fishing net and his sketch pad from one of the bags. "Besides, you picked a really great place for a field trip."

"You got that right," Lia added, adjusting her white ball cap. "Especially for the meteor shower tonight. It's going to be amazing!"

"Yes," Ms. Mika said. "And I'm also so glad that you've been helping organize things here, Misty. We really couldn't have done it without you."

"It's my pleasure," Misty replied, smiling as widely as everyone else. "Water and sea life's my specialty, and I don't want anyone to miss out on how awesome those things are."

The group stepped up a large white sand dune strewn with sea oats, finally seeing the crystalline coastline at the top. This day was going to be amazing.

The schoolchildren weren't the only ones keeping their eyes out on the water. Rita Repulsa, the vile space sorceress, peered down at the seaside through her Repulsascope, a devilish grin accentuating her thin face.

"Perfect," she spoke, coming away from the palace balcony and to the main chamber. "Everything is looking just perfect out on Earth!"

Squatt came up to the telescope and took a look. "I'll say!" he exclaimed. "Looks like a great day to go get a tan!"

"Of course it does for you, you simpleton," the empress remarked, pushing her crony away from the Repulsascope. She peeked through the device once more, laughing as observed the scene.

"Goldar!" Rita called out to her chief warrior. "Are you ready for the first phase of your mission?"

The menacing apelike creature curled his golden claws and stepped forward. "Of course, your highness," he growled, glee tinging his words. "Finster has already prepared a legion of Putties to go into the city and help me distract the Rangers!"

"Excellent," Rita said back, twirling her staff between her spindly fingers. "I will finally take back my island and find the one I seek…"


	2. Party Crashers

"Whoa!"

Back at the beach, salty spray shot up from the ocean as three Starmie raced past a group of kids, covering them in water. They all laughed and began running after the purple, star-shaped creatures. Others were able to snag some small fish with their nets, the volunteers helping them identify what kind they were.

Misty's group continued to walk down the shoreline, with her leading the way and Lia bringing up the rear. Tracey had gone ahead of them and took a seat in front of the sea, beginning to draw the scene in front of him.

"I didn't know there were blue crabs around here," one of the little girls said, holding one of the crustaceans in her hand, it stepping very slowly across her palm.

"That's right, Rena," Lia added, looking closer at the crab. "This beach is the only place they can be found in the whole southern part of the Amalei Region.

"It feels so funny when he walks!" Rena giggled. "Hey, Corey, check it out!"

"No way!" Corey, one of the boys, shouted, backing away from her hand. "That thing's gonna pinch me!"

"I wouldn't worry about that," Misty said, smiling at Corey. "As long as you're gentle and relaxed with it, it won't hurt you."

"Yeah, let's see!" Another boy snatched the crab from Rena's hand and put it down the back of Corey's shirt. The little boy yelled and tried to shake it off of him while some of the other kids laughed. The blue crab eventually fell from Corey's shirt and down to the sand, skittering away.

"Oh nice job, Nicky!" Rena cried, going over to Corey, who was still shaking. "You made it run away!"

"What was that for? That wasn't nice!" Misty said, also checking on Corey. "You okay, Corey?"

"Yeah," the kid responded, straightening his shirt. "Man, what's your problem?"

"Oh come on," Nicky said, still laughing a little bit. "What is _your _problem? It's just a stupid crab. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"You shouldn't have done that to him," Lia chastised, folding her arms. "How would you like it if he had actually gotten hurt?"

"Then he would have still been dancing!" Nicky answered. He started to mimic all of Corey's shaking about, making the other children chuckle. Nicky was so busy making fun of Corey that he didn't notice the little blue crab scuttling right next to him, opening its claw.

"Ow!" Nicky yelled, jumping about and holding his foot in pain. The little animal had pinched his toe and hurried off again. "Hey, I thought you said these things wouldn't come after you!"

"You were the one jumping around like a monkey," Corey said, Rena and the other kids starting to laugh.

"Alright, alright," Misty said, smiling and putting her hand on Nicky's shoulder. "I think that's enough arguing for one day. Come on." Nicky scowled and everyone continued on their way.

A little while later, Misty and Lia let the group go off to explore the shore on their own for a bit; the coastline was long, but the trip groups could still easily reach each other. The two girls hiked up another tall sand dune to find Ash and Hayashi rooted in the sand, slowly performing blocking and punching motions for one of their karate forms.

"Hey guys," Misty said, waving lightly.

"Oh, hey Mist," Ash answered cheerfully, continuing to form a square block. "How's everything going?"

"Pretty good," Lia said. "All the kids are having a lot of fun. When they're done collecting some specimens, they're gonna get in the water."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Hayashi cut in, snapping a few punches so well the sleeves of his purple Feron Grove High shirt did so as well; all of the teen volunteers wore them. "It's kind of hot for October."

Misty giggled a little nervously. "Sure is. Wow, those was awesome," she said. "I wouldn't mind learning how to tune up some of mine."

"Why not? I could show you sometime," Hayashi replied. Lia closed her eyes and stifled a laugh, Ash raising his eyebrows. "Want us to tag in for a bit?"

"That'd be great," Misty said, stretching her arms, her tone growing a little more jovial. "You and I can help out Ms. Mika's down there, and we can send some kids over here for Ash and Brock to work with."

"He sure looks ready and willing," Lia stated, grinning as she saw their friend propped up on a beach chair under an umbrella, soft music playing from a portable radio nearby. He gave the group a thumbs-up as they spoke. "I'll get Tracey and we'll get the kids started on some sketches of what they found."

Lia ran off to find Tracey, and Misty and Hayashi followed along. Ash stood right where he was, putting his hands on his hips. He turned to face Brock, who stared right back at him.

"Misty seems excited," Ash said, pushing up his black bangs, newly short after a haircut the day before.

"You could have jumped in," Brock said to himself, shaking his head.

"What?"

"Nothing." Brock just smiled. He got up from his chair to join his friend just as the radio switched from playing the dulcet tones of "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" to a news update:

"This is a Feron Grove First Response Update. Police are being called to several area clinics and hospitals after medical officials are reporting a sudden disappearance of poison antidotes and antivenin, with no idea to who could have taken them…"

Eventually, a small group of children came over to meet Ash and Brock. The entire scene seemed perfect. A light breeze blew sand into the waiting water, the only noises being the approaching waves lapping the shore and the children talking. Suddenly, a flash of gray cut through the air, and the kids were screaming. Ash and Brock turned to see four Putty Patrollers fanning out around them, their rocky arms spread wide and their eyes blazing red. The screaming intensified, also coming from far down the beach as they could see more of Rita's soldiers coming upon the people.


	3. Seaside Brawl

Ash and Brock moved around in-step with the invading Putties, putting themselves in front of the children. Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw several people fleeing the scene before the other incoming Putties could attack.

"Just stay between us…" Ash said calmly, wedging the shuddering kids between his back and Brock's as they circled about. Out in the distance, they heard the sounds of battle as Lia let out a high-pitched yell.

Over near the middle of the shoreline, Lia had already made one goon eat sand after knocking it down with a sharp reverse elbow strike. Another jumped on her back, and the young woman decided to fall back herself, stunning the foe and then crushing it with a spinning leg drop. Tracey and a couple of other teen volunteers backed some schoolchildren into standing in the water as they tried to defend them. Tracey blocked an oncoming series of round kicks from one Putty and toppled it with a straight punch to the gut and swept it to the ground with a leg trip. While he was fighting, another soldier jump-kicked him in the side, sending him into the water.

"Hey!" one of the volunteers yelled, swiping one of the big fishing nets at the Putty, who wrenched the object from the boy's grip and tossed it aside, flooring him with a fast punch. Another teenager tried to grab the Putty but was met with a stiff push. Another creep joined its friend in confronting the screaming children. A couple of them were knocked into the waves, and the Putties kept at them. Suddenly, Tracey tripped them both up by using the nearby fishing net.

"Come on, let's move up!" he ordered, picking up some kids helping everyone move closer to the beach. Lia was engaging the other lone Putty, but the thing nailed her in the face with a rocky palm strike after she dispatched one of its friends with a double punch and axe kick combination. As the Putty moved to attack, Tracey netted its head and began to drag it back. Lia then recovered, brushing her two-tone locks out of her eyes, grabbed the minion's legs, and the two tossed it into its comrades.

Two of the Putties that surrounded Ash and Brock's group lunged at everyone, but the two young men whipped them into the other Putties, dazing them for a bit as Ash and Brock urged the kids further away.

"Come on!" Ash shouted, readying himself to fight. One goon rushed him only to be felled by a jump side kick. Another tried to grab his arm and clothesline him, but Ash ducked and caught it with a front kick; as the Putty tried to come back at him, he caught its head with a backfist and shoved it to Brock, who took the Putty over with a fireman's carry. The other two Putties grabbed Brock's big arms to disable him, but Brock slammed the enemies into each other and doubled back. He spotted one of the other staggering Putties coming toward him and split-legged jumped over it. However, the cretin kept going toward the children, who screamed and started to run, but it picked up one of them and tossed him into the group.

"Hey!" Brock cried, trying to go over to help, but two Putties caught him and flung him back. Ash zigzagged to cut them off, but was taken down by a swipe from one of the invader's blade-arms.

"Leave them alone!" Ms. Mika screamed, her chestnut hair flying across her face as she ran. She was helping Tracey, Lia, and some other volunteers group everyone together to get somewhere safe, but the boy and girl had to go try cut off more foot soldiers. Misty and Hayashi had already gotten their group safely behind one of the rest areas on the beach with a couple more volunteers and were bolting toward the scene behind the teacher. Ms. Mika eventually got to where Ash and Brock's group was, but a Putty from the middle of the beach had gotten there as well and turned her around, tossing her over its head. She cried out and immediately gripped her right ankle.

Within seconds, Misty and Hayashi happened upon the chaos. Just as the Putty was going to stomp the teacher's injured limb, Misty cartwheeled and dropkicked the foe away.

"Come on, move this way," she breathed, pulling Ms. Mika to the side. She spotted Brock only dodging a few another creep's blows, taking a few to his back, and went to help her friend. She got in between them and, with a yell, blocked the Putty's high punch and countered with two knifehand strikes and a rising elbow.

Hayashi immediately went over to the Putty that was menacing the children and leveled it with a high tornado kick. He turned and saw Ash trying to fight off two Putties singlehandedly despite trying to tuck his bloody arm into himself. The elder of the Feran siblings cut in and knocked out one of them with a quick front-side-spin crescent kick sequence. He backed up with Ash as the final foe prepared to attack. Both boys looked at each other and leapt at the Putty, shouting and sending it to the ground with two powerful punches.

The fighters all regrouped on a sloping sand dune, the kids, the volunteers and Ms. Mika all having made it up as well. Rita's fallen soldiers writhed slowly in the sand until they vanished from sight with the same gray light that brought them there.

"That was too close," Tracey sighed, taking off his headband and wiping his sweaty forehead. "We barely got away."

"You're telling me," Brock said, trying to straighten up. "Is everyone okay?" The kids all nodded and started chattering.

"Ms. Mika, can you stand?" Lia asked, trying to help the teacher up. She tried to rise, but buckled on her right ankle.

"That was awesome!" Rena said. "You guys really took 'em all down!"

"Yeah, but maybe now the Power Rangers will show up!" Corey added, and all the children got a little excited about that.

"I hope so," Ash agreed, nodding toward Misty. "Those weirdos just came out of nowhere."

"Are you okay, Ash?" Misty questioned, seeing her friend's injured arm. A long gash ran down the transverse side, but it didn't look like he'd need stitches.

"I'll be fine. I just need to get into the ocean to really clean it out." he replied.

"Sure will," Hayashi interjected, putting his arm around Ash. "You really held your own out there, just like your old man." Ash turned his head and cast a doubtful look at the ground. "You all did."

"Thanks to you," Misty said, beaming. "You were a big help."

Some of the volunteers ushered the kids back down to the shoreline now that it was safe, hoping that some time in the water would help them relax. The police, and hopefully the Power Rangers, would be on the scene soon enough.

"Hey Brock," Ash said. "Why don't you take Tracey and Lia to get Ms. Mika up to one of those lifeguards? They might be able to get her to a clinic."

"Sure man," Brock responded, and with that, the small group made their way up while Misty and Hayashi made sure Ash got to the healing salt water, which was frothing a little more than usual at the shoreline and was starting to bubble a bit in the distance.

"You have no idea how much it means to me that you all kept everyone safe," Ms. Mika uttered tiredly as Brock, Lia, and Tracey assisted her in getting into a waiting ambulance. Medical officials were already present on their way to the beach to check on everyone due to the attack, so there was no need to wait for help.

"It means so much to us too, Ms. Mika," Lia said, smiling at her. "At least you aren't seriously hurt."

"Yeah, and don't worry about the kids," Tracey added. "We're just going to go get some more supplies and we'll be back with them soon." The teacher nodded at them as the EMTs started to attend to her, and the three teens made their way behind a nearby changing cabana. After looking around to make sure they were in the clear, Brock activated his Wrist Communicator.

"Zordon, Alpha, this is Brock," he announced. "We just got ambushed by some Putties at the beach, but everything is okay for now. What's going on?"

"It is fortunate that you called, Brock," the good wizard answered. "This attack is only part of Rita's newest assault. Alpha and I have just detected a horde of Putty Patrollers gathering at a nearby hospital, and Goldar is with them. You three must morph and stop them there while Misty and Ash keep watch at the beach, and I will let them know if they must join you."

"Got it," Brock said. "It's Morphin Time!"

With those words, Brock, Lia, and Tracey drew their Power Morphers and raised them to the sky, calling on the strength of the Power Coins and the dinosaurs.

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

In only a few seconds, otherworldly energy encased the teens in their protective armor, and the Black, Pink, and Blue Rangers were on their way to engage the new threat.


	4. Emergency Response Superteam

With battle cries, Brock, Lia, and Tracey somersaulted into action, having teleported from the beach to the hospital. The whole outside area was devoid of people save for a few scattered doctors, nurses, and policemen. The rest of the grounds consisted of Putties, some carrying along various boxes, as Goldar waved them on.

The Power Rangers wasted no time in engaging more of the gray goons, halting them with various spin kicks, punches, and grappling maneuvers.

"Why are these clayheads here?" Pink Ranger asked one of the nearby policemen who was directing passersby into nearby buildings for safety. Another creep rushed her, but she countered by sidestepping and hip tossing it to the pavement.

"We got a call that area medical facilities are reporting missing medicines. They must be behind it!" the officer said as more screaming bystanders retreated indoors.

"Hey, put those down!" Black Ranger ordered two of the Putties in the hospital's entryway courtyard. Both creatures stopped in their tracks and flung their cargo to the ground, the sound of breaking glass piercing the confines of the boxes. Brock then hoisted both of them up with his arms, tossed them up, and flattened them with a pair of clotheslines. Before he could get his wits about him, Goldar leapt in and assailed the Ranger with three quick palm heels to the midsection and a sharp kick to the chest.

"Don't worry, I've got him!" Blue Ranger cried as his teammate rolled toward the huge fountain in the center. Bright blue light materialized into his double-sided Tricera Lance, and Tracey took aim at Rita's main warrior with broad strokes, which the simian-like monster evaded twice, but ended up taking a third blow, forcing him back. Tracey then tried to launch a jump front kick at Goldar's huge metallic chest, but his foot was easily caught. The villain then took a brawny hand and ripped the Tricera Lance away from the Blue Ranger's hand, tossing it to the ground and then wrapping his hands around his throat.

"Your pitiful weapons are no match for Goldar!" the being rasped, spittle flying at Tracey's visor and the silver Triceratops horns and yellow eyes that adorned the helmet. "You think you worms will continue to insult me with your shoddy combat skills?!" He continued to apply terrible pressure to the Blue Ranger's neck, making him gasp for air and claw at Goldar's hands.

"Stop!" Brock yelled, getting to his feet. However, three Putty Patrollers quickly surrounded him and pinned him to the fountain, attempting to drown him.

Lia, who was trying to help some doctors wrestle some of the containers from the Putties down the street, turned her head briefly and saw the chaos unfolding, screaming "No!" and running off from her fight.

Goldar grinned as he peered through Tracey's black visor and saw life fading from his eyes, but his elated expression left him as several bolts of pink light struck him all over his body, making him release his captive. The Putties trying to drown Brock were also met with the same barrage of fire. The Pink Ranger darted toward the Black Ranger, keeping her Blade Blaster at the ready and helping him along to the Blue Ranger.

"Tracey! Are you okay?" Lia asked, picking him up under his arm.

"Yeah…" Tracey gasped with heavy breaths, regaining his Tricera Lance and stomping his feet. "I can't believe I let that happen!"

"Come on, hang in there man," Brock urged, gripping his shoulder . "We'll get him."

"You Power Punks have no idea what you're up against!" Goldar laughed, his red eyes gleefully glowing in contrast to his midnight blue face. "Take a look around you!"

The Power Rangers darted their eyes about, seeing several Putties mashing more of the stolen boxes and wresting them from the people.

"Ah, man," Brock said. "We need more power to stop all these guys!"

Tracey had his hand up to his helmet, clearly concentrating until he snapped his diamond-patterned gloved fingers. "More power! We can use the Dino Crystals to amplify our abilities!"

"Tracey's right," Lia added. "Maybe we can round up these losers without calling the others."

"Then let's show 'em what we're made of!" Brock yelled. The three Rangers put their palms together and drew them out, summoning the crystals from the heart of the Morphing Grid. They raised them to the sky, and the crystals dissolved into lustrous energy that enveloped the Rangers.

"Stop standing around, you morons!" Rita's right-hand warrior shouted at his flunkies. "Attack!"

A few Putties near the hospital stopped ambling about and started toward the heroes. As they did, Goldar raised a palm to his eyes and fired flaming orbs at his targets.

"Sandstorm Cyclone!" Blue Ranger called out, spinning his lance like a fan. The incoming enemies and fire immediately flew back as they were swallowed up by a torrent of wind and sand straight from the desert the Triceratops Dinozord resided in.

The Black and Pink Rangers dispersed to assist those that were being ambushed by Rita's minons, Brock heading off to the grassy field that led to another parking lot and Lia heading off to the street that led away from the facility and toward the main city outlet.

As soon as a group of Putties pushing a few medical staff members around turned to see Brock, they abandoned their prey and darted at him. The Black Ranger began to move about rhythmically, like he was about to do a freestyle dance, his feet glowing a silvery white.

"Hey, try these moves out, Putties!" he taunted. "But watch your step with my Glacier Flash!"

The Putty Patrollers didn't heed his warning, not noticing that the green grass being swiftly coated with a layer of ice until they tumbled and slid face-first.

Police officers and doctors barely wriggled free from the Putty Patrollers as Lia came running up to the scene. The Pink Ranger leapt into the air and began to glide through the air with her arms outstretched.

"I believe I can fly, and I believe you're toast! Aerial Eruption!" she cried. As Lia flew past the Putties, they were leveled by flaming explosions at their feet.

The two fighters regrouped with Tracey just as he took Goldar down with a slice of his Tricera Lance. The Putty Patrollers had all dissolved or broke apart during the battle.

"You think you're so great with those stupid jokes?" Goldar growled, stepping back in pain. "You'll pay for this!"

"Who's joking? You just lost the fight!" Lia shot back, still in a fighting stance.

"Just wait and see what's coming your way!" the villain snapped, and then he disappeared in a wall of flames, going back to the Moon Palace.

The Power Rangers then went over to a couple of the officers who were discussing something with the doctors.

"That's the last of them," Tracey said. "Is anyone hurt?"

"Not badly, Blue Ranger," a physician with a gray mustache and a receding hairline said, smiling weakly. "Thank you so much for getting here so quickly."

"Yeah, but look at all of those medicines…" Brock said with disappointment, looking at all of the crushed bottles and smashed boxes. "We didn't save them."

"That is true," another doctor said, adjusting her thin, circular glasses. "But the hospital and all of those people are safe, and that's what's most important."

"What could those Putties possibly want with all of that cargo if they weren't going to use it?" Lia pondered. "And why did they only come here if the other clinics are reporting the same stuff missing?"

A cop turned to the Pink Ranger, a disillusioned look on his face. "You're not gonna believe this…"

Miles to the east at one of the satellite clinics, a lab technician in scrubs stepped through a quiet white hallway. With the exception of a couple of people getting flu shots, the whole place was devoid of patients. The tech was all alone, carrying a white case, when he bumped into one of the doctors.

"Hey, Cal," the doctor said. "Where are you off to?"

"Oh, nowhere really, doc," Cal said nervously, shifting the case in his arms. "Just shipping off this case of antivenin."

"Whoa there," the doctor said. "We need to keep the poison antidotes here. Haven't you been paying attention? Clinics all over the city are reporting these medicines missing. Why are you taking these?"

"See…the thing is…" Cal began shakily. He suddenly put the white case under his left arm and struck the doctor down, briskly walking away. The doctor fell to his knees, wiping fresh blood from his teeth. Before he could chase the young man, he heard someone collapsing behind him. The doctor turned to see Cal on his hands and knees, sporting a black eye and wiping blood from his lip as well.

"He… He just…" the technician gasped as the doctor's eyes grew wide.

The other Cal made his way out of the office and rounded a corner behind the clinic. He looked to the left and right anxiously, his youthful face morphing into the rough-hewn one of a Putty Patroller, and vanished from sight.


	5. Deep Terror

Back at Rita's Moon Palace, the empress stood at her Repulsascope, still sporting a wicked smile even as Goldar trudged into the main chamber.

"Don't even say anything," Rita said, still peering at the Feron Grove beachside through the telescope. Goldar growled and struck his sword against the cold, hard floor. Squatt snickered in the corner but retreated when the golden monster turned to snarl at him.

"You surprisingly did your job, Goldar," Rita continued, not moving from her position. "Feron Grove is now all but hopeless now."

Baboo and Finster made their way into the room, scuttling up near the evil queen. "That is true," Baboo began. "But why didn't Goldar go to the neighboring town…"

"Absolutely no need for that right now!" Finster piped up, putting a hand up to Rita's scientist's mouth to stop his supposed insolence. "By the time my Vitreous monster comes out to play, nobody will be able to make a move to help those people anyway!"

"Yes," Rita said happily. "And even if some help does arrive, the Power Rangers will be too late and will find their entire city crushed…"

Down on Earth, the schoolchildren splashed away in the clear ocean, tossing beach balls and moving about on inflatable rafts. Occasionally some fish or a nearby water Pokémon would come by to greet them as they frolicked.

On the dunes, Misty, Hayashi, some kids, and a couple of volunteers were throwing a Frisbee back and forth, keeping an eye on everyone in the water as well. Lots more people were coming up to the beach now after the previous fervor had settled, setting up large blankets and telescopes and talking excitedly.

"I can't wait for the meteor shower tonight. They say you won't even need to set up a telescope to see them so clearly!"

"Yeah, but I'd love to see the little moon men that ride them up close."

"Ha! They'd be better than those monsters that have been around here…"

Misty tried to stifle a laugh hearing that, running a hand through the red hair that hung to the base of her neck and throwing the Frisbee back to Hayashi. "Funny how things just get so calm around here after all that."

"Yeah," the young man replied, flicking the disc to another teenager. "It's not like everyone pitched in to just knock some of those things back to the moon, Having real-life superheroes around can inspire people." Hayashi jokingly got to one knee and flexed one of his arms. Misty put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrow, and the others laughed at his comment.

"So strong!" Misty said, looking over at Ash, who was out in the water. He slightly turned his head to see the group on the beach, a blank look on his face.

"Are you sure Ash's going to be okay?" Hayashi pointed out, gesturing toward the ocean. The boy was walking back up to the sand, ocean water covering his body and purifying the large cut on his arm. He looked up toward the dunes and raised his eyebrow at them.

"Oh he'll be fine," Misty shouted. "He just needs to stop moping around and have some fun!"

Ash said nothing, reaching into his bag and drawing his hand back. He sat on the sand and put his head low, mumbling to himself.

"Oh, alright, I'll get him," Misty jested, going over to where he was while Hayashi and the others continued playing. Ash didn't move his head as the girl approached him, still mumbling.

"Alright, why are you acting like such a sad sack?" she asked, thumping Ash on the head. "Even Hayashi is having fun, and he's more serious than you. Come join us" Ash said nothing, shaking his head.

"Zordon said he'd call us if there was any more danger…" Misty began.

"He just did," Ash finally said, massaging his arm. Misty came over closer to him. "Tracey, Brock, and Lia fought Goldar and the Putties off, but they trashed a bunch of medicines and antidotes. Apparently Rita's been sending Putties in disguise to steal them too."

"You've got to be kidding," Misty whispered. "We should go help the others."

She tried to offer Ash a helping hand up, but he waved her off saying he was fine. Misty shook her head and continued to go over to Hayashi's group with him. It was just like him.

"Hey, Hayashi," Misty said, tapping him on the shoulder while he threw the Frisbee. "Ash's not feeling that well, so I'm going to see that he gets home okay. Can you guys handle things for a while without us?"

"No problem," Hayashi said, putting a hand on Ash's uninjured shoulder. "You guys be careful, and you get well, man."

"Thanks," Ash responded, nodding.

As the two stepped up the sugar-white sand dunes, the atmosphere was cut through once again with a scream.

"My leg! My leg! MY LEG!"

Ash and Misty turned back to see one of the little girls in the water shrieking, falling face-first in the waves. A couple of kids went to help her, but they were both touched by something silvery and clear, bringing them down.

"Ah!"

"My neck!"

Hayashi and the other teens, along with some of the adults on the sand, instantly bolted to the seashore to get the kids, pulling them out of the sea. Several of them shouted that they could not move, painful red splotches peppering their skin.

"What is that thing?!" one of the beachgoers shouted, narrowly jumping over a thick tentacle.

"It ain't a Tentacruel!" one of the teens added. The gelatinous tube suddenly whipped up and struck him across the face. The young man gasped for air as he hit the sand, Hayashi barely able to pull him along.

"Come on, everyone!" he yelled, helping the volunteer and a couple of kids along. "We gotta move!"

The being began to slowly rise from the ocean and inched toward the shore. It sure looked like a jellyfish, sporting a crystal-clear bulbous body and several thick tentacles. Sea-blue-green stripes ran down its body.

Panicked people started fleeing the beach by the dozen, racing past Ash and Misty, who ducked behind the very same cabana the other Power Rangers had before their fight.

"Aw man, what is that thing?" Ash uttered, clenching his arm and then reaching for his Morpher.

"No idea, but I know that it's Morphin Time!" Misty said, drawing her Power Morpher as well.

"Saber-Toothed Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

The Yellow and Red Power Rangers rushed to the beachside again, this time in their shining protective suits and helmets.

"Stand back!" Red Ranger ordered, getting in between the monster and the retreating civilians. He brought his hands together to form his Dino Crystal. Raising it to the sky, it dissolved into sparkling light while Ash kept his red-glowing fist raised.

"Quake Defender!" Ash roared, striking the ground hard. A deep rift cut through the sand in front of him, releasing torrents of earthen steam. The creature tried to fling its limbs past the mist, but recoiled in shock.

Meanwhile, the Yellow Ranger went over to Hayashi, who was helping the other volunteers get to the incoming paramedics.

"Don't move. You'll be okay," she said, picking up a couple of the children and handing them to the EMTs.

"You don't need to tell them that," Hayashi explained, catching his breath. "They say they can't move! Something in that sting must be paralyzing them!"

"Whoa! Jellyfish aren't supposed to be that big!" one of the workers cried, directing an ambulance to keep backing up.

"Usually," Misty said. "Bio Scan!" Her HUD began to run a laser-focused scan over the jellyfish, revealing its makeup:

CLASSIFICATION: Vitreous

PHYSICAL COMPOSITION: Space Clay, Enchanted Lunar Gel

"One of Rita's," she muttered angrily, drawing her Blade Blaster. "Of course…"


	6. Stretching the Battle

Even though Ash's Quake Defender had rattled Vitreous and prevented him from moving further, it could only work for so long.

"He's breaking past the steam shield!" he shouted as Misty came to his side. They had to keep moving back as the beast kept oozing forward.

"I've got him!" Yellow Ranger cut in, putting her palms together and forming her Dino Crystal. After its power surrounded her, she threw both of her arms forward yelling, "Jungle Barrier!" A cluster of green leaves and several vines materialized and wrapped themselves around Vitreous. Bright yellow light radiated from the foliage, causing the sea dweller to shrink down and drone as the plant life grew, sporting colorful flowers. Yet, the effects were only temporary as Vitreous pulsed and broke its binds, absorbing them.

"No!" Red Ranger breathed. "This animal's unreal!"

"Yeah, the scan just confirmed it's one of Rita's monsters," Misty reported, aiming her laser pistol at the being.

"Of course. Makes sense why Rita wanted to destroy the antidotes now," Ash said solemnly, drawing his Blade Blaster as well. The Rangers fired round upon round of beams at Vitreous, but it kept inching forward, raising itself high above everything else.

"This isn't working!" Red Ranger cried, raising his arm to his face. "Power Rangers, this is the Red Ranger. There's a monster on the loose here at the beach. We need you to help us put this thing down!"

"Right! We're on our way!" Pink Ranger's voice cut in through the Communicator. Within seconds, three beams of light descended down to the sand, revealing Brock, Lia, and Tracey.

"Aw man, that thing's huge!" Black Ranger shouted, doubling back with the others.

"It's been poisoning everyone out here," Misty said. "But at least almost everyone's off the beach right now." A few more EMTs were trying to rescue some people stricken by Vitreous' vile appendages.

"Did you try your Crystal Powers?" Blue Ranger asked.

"They held him for a bit, but he just broke free!" Ash answered.

"Then I say we blast him back in the water!" Pink Ranger said, and the others concurred. Before they could do so, the Rangers were each wrapped up by a heavy jelly-like limb. All five screamed and buckled as electric currents surged through their suits and their bodies. Vitreous then flung the five far across the sand.

"Argh! I can barely move!" Ash choked out, struggling to lift himself up.

"Me either!" Brock added, checking the shield damage to his suit with his HUD. "But the venom can't make it through the suits yet! One more hit might just do it!"

"Then we've got even less time to lose. Come on!" Misty shouted, rage tinging her words.

"Jurassic Cannon!" the Power Rangers yelled, summoning their weapons. They assembled the Tyranno Sword, Tricera Lance, Ptera Bow, Mammoth Axe, and Tiger Daggers together to form the cannon, pointing it directly at the center of the creeping mass.

"Fire!" they commanded, and an array of colorful light issued forth from the Jurassic Cannon, barreling into Vitreous. However, instead of blasting it to pieces, the rays pushed into the jellyfish's form and rocketed back toward the Rangers, sending them flying in a hail of fire. Meanwhile, Vitreous continued to inch its way across the sand until it reached the top of the sand dunes. The blob then began to stretch itself upward, getting taller and taller and reaching to the sky, its tentacles darting in the air and striking at nearby cars and buildings.

"Come on, Rangers! You can stop this thing!" one of the medical workers said as he loaded the last patient into the ambulance. The driveway was only a few feet away.

"We plan on it, but what about the victims?" Lia questioned. "All of the hospitals in the city are out of antidotes. We've been searching each one."

"We've been on the radio with them and with the hospitals in Riko," the medic said, ducking out of a stray tentacle's way. "It's a small town just outside of Feron Grove. There are still medicines available there."

"Then that's where I'll go!" Yellow Ranger announced, her fists trembling. "Let me get the antidotes, guys. Rita's not getting away with ruining things now!"

Ash nodded his head and slapped hands with Misty, realizing this was her fight. "You're on. We'll hang back here and stop Vitreous the best we can."

"Thanks!" Misty acknowledged, turning and raising her hand to the sky. "Saber-Toothed Tiger Dinozord Power!"

Far away, the Yellow Ranger's personal mech instantly heeded the call of duty, awakening from its slumber and darting through a dense jungle, dirt and foliage blowing past its silver metal limbs and yellow body.

The other Power Rangers assumed battle stances as well and called upon their fighting machines, which arose from a subterranean crevice, a windswept desert, a boiling volcano, and a massive glacier:

"Tyrannosaurus Dinozord Power!"

"Triceratops Dinozord Power!"

"Pterodactyl Dinozord Power!"

"Mastodon Dinozord Power!"

The Zords came in from seemingly nowhere, racing and flying to meet the threat. The Yellow Ranger led the charge this time, leaping up to the top of the Saber-Toothed Tiger and entering the cockpit, the Red, Blue, Pink, and Black Rangers following suit.

"Catch you guys on the flipside!"

"Alright! Power Rangers, log on!"

"All systems check out!"

"I'm with you! Time to rock!"

"You got it! Let's jam this jellyfish!"

Misty led the Saber-Toothed Tiger Dinozord due northeast toward Riko while the others formed up to try to repel Vitreous, which was increasing in impressive breadth with every second.

"Manual Dinozord power on!" Ash said, hitting two circular buttons on his control deck—one featuring his Ranger helmet and the other the design of his Power Coin. This sent a ray of red energy to another button that featured the head of the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord itself, making all three shine. The others did the same for their respective mecha as well.

Triceratops was the first to move forward, raising its silver double-barreled tail above its bulky blue frame and firing several rounds of lasers at the monster, but to no avail.

"We have to try our projectile attacks first," Tracey said, continuing to fire. "Engaging Vitreous physically will surely damage the Zords!"

"I feel you," Lia said back, steering the Pterodactyl so many yards in the air to meet the creature at its highest point. "Here we go!" She sent several strings of electricity Vitreous' way, but the monster took some in and rebounded the rest at Pterodactyl Dinozord, forcing it to dive close to the city's surface.

"I'm hit! Be careful, guys!" Pink Ranger cautioned, regaining control of her vehicle before it crashed, helping it glide carefully over some nearby buildings, causing the people below to scream.

"No problem," Ash responded, taking Tyrannosaurus Dinozord closer to the city. At this point, Vitreous was beginning to arc itself forward. "Brock, fire and ice combo!"

"Oh yeah!" the Black Ranger responded, directing Mastodon Dinozord in the same direction. Tyrannosaurus roared and released a flaming cyclone from its jaws, the blast dancing in the air away from buildings and citizens. Brock then positioned the Mastodon directly in front of Tyrannosarus, an Arctic flurry issuing forth from its huge trunk. The ice came through the bottom of the fiery vortex as it rose upward toward Vitreous, which was now spawning even more ugly tentacles from its body. The dangling limbs sucked up the Power Rangers' attacks and fell to grab the four Dinozords, torturing each one with the energy of their own blows.

The Feron Grove General Hospital was now packed with patients, many of them paralyzed or ill thanks to Rita's monster, and even more were being brought in as it grew. Doctors and nurses scrambled to get the victims relief while children and adults alike moaned and cried out in pain, the feeling in their bodies deadened coupled with flesh-searing pain. The once-quiet hallways were now a thing of the past, and a good amount of the clean tile floors were now splotched with vomit.

In one of the large patient rooms, Ms. Mika sat by with Hayashi and some of her students as they were confined to hospital beds. Despite the young ones' convulsions and hoarse cries, they kept their eyes facing out the large window facing the city. They clearly saw Vitreous expanding over the city like a huge bubble dome, as well as the Dinozords being thrown to the ground, tremors shaking the building.

"This is awful…" Ms. Mika whispered, rubbing her injured ankle and holding one of the kids' hands. "That thing's going to cover the entire city…"

"The Dinozords are just getting pounded out there…" Nicky spoke, trying to curl up to relieve the pain caused by Vitreous. "They can't lose…"

Hayashi clutched his stomach with one arm and pulled himself to the kids by their bed rails, tears of strain escaping his blue eyes. His legs were all but useless and he was trying to not get sick, which was easier for him than it was for the kids. He rubbed their shoulders and their backs, trying in vain to get the nausea to fade away.

Rena moved her head from over a bucket next to the bed to face everyone, wiping her mouth. "That's right, Nicky," she said weakly but assuredly. "The Power Rangers can't lose, right?" She tried to smile at them despite her illness.

Hayashi smiled back at the kids and then looked back at the window with a determined expression on his face. "Right. They _can't_ lose."


	7. Hook, Line, and Sinker

The city edifices were almost gone from Misty's view as she made her way toward the small town of Riko. Towering business buildings gave way to pastoral scenery—rolling hills, plains, and farmhouses. However, this vision was obscured by two blubbery masses that whipped the Saber-Toothed Tiger Dinozord across its face. The Yellow Ranger shouted due to emotional and physical shock as electric currents ran through the Zord's fangs and face, sending the roaring machine to the ground.

_"I've got to make it past this thing…" _she told herself, trying to rally the Dinozord to its feet, but she had little idea what she could do. Like the Blue Ranger said, physical attacks were foolhardy and laser fire was either absorbed or rebounded at her by Vitreous, which would be encasing the entire city soon; Misty could see the jellyfish's end hovering a few hundred feet above the edge of the northern edge of Feron Grove, torturously descending to the Earth's surface.

"Alpha!" Misty said through her Communicator. "Vitreous is weighing my Dinozord down! I need you to transfer more power so I can speed out of here!"

"I'm trying, Misty," the robot assistant answered. "But the monster's poisonous electrical current has already damaged you all significantly! We have to focus more energy on shields so the venom doesn't penetrate the Zords and your suits!"

"We cannot risk overloading the Dinozords, Yellow Ranger," Zordon added. "Too much energy boosting can also damage the Morphing Grid."

"I understand," Misty said, bringing Saber-Toothed Tiger back to its feet, nimbly dodging another strike from the tentacles. "Maybe I can get this thing tangled up."

Shifting her controls forward, Yellow Ranger surged her Dinozord forward toward Riko. Three slimy appendages instantly dropped down to try and tangle her, but she deftly dodged to the left, whipping the trees below her nearly out of the ground. Another two tentacles came from in front of her, preparing to lynch the Zord, and the others were coming in from the side.

"Now!" she cried, moving the control knobs back. Saber-Toothed Tiger growled and leapt far back. Instead of ensnaring its prey, Vitreous' tentacles wrapped around each other, causing the beast to drone in frustration. Misty then charged fast, escaping the area and making it to Riko.

"I did it!" the heroine shouted triumphantly. "Guys, I got out! Try and maneuver so that the monster wraps its tentacles around each other!"

"Great plan, Misty," Ash congratulated. "We'll give him a taste of his own medicine."

"Yeah," Lia said. "Maybe then we can get out and attack Vitreous from the outside!"

As Misty kept going, the other Rangers changed up their strategy, trying to egg the monster on to attack them in order to trap it. Before long, she heard Vitreous moan in pain—a sign the Dinozords were effectively tricking it.

Finally, the humongous tiger robot came to a stop near Riko Community Hospital, a small white building with several medical trucks standing by. The Yellow Ranger exited the cockpit and leapt to the ground, where a team of physicians and EMTs were waiting, astonished at what they saw.

"Thank goodness you're here," one of the doctors said, awestruck at seeing a real live superhero. "We want to move in to Feron Grove to get these antidotes to the people, but that monster's in the way!"

"Don't you worry," Misty assured her. "Me and the other Power Rangers will make sure this thing's out of the way. Since it probably knows you'll have the antidotes, We'll do our best to draw its attacks away from you."

"Awesome!" a bearded medic cried, waving the other workers to the trucks. "Let's get a move on!"

On the Moon, Rita Repulsa still stood a vigilant watch, eyeing Misty's progress through her telescope.

"Perfect. They're on their way!" Rita cackled. "Goldar! Go down to Riko and distract that insipid Yellow Ranger! Destroy the whole town if you want, but leave those transporting the medicines alone. Let them think they have hope."

"Of course, empress!" Goldar gleefully rasped, disappearing in a crackle of flame.

With a happy scream, Rita reared back and flung her Repulsa Staff straight to the planet Earth. With lightning speed, the wand broke through the atmosphere and pierced the ground a few miles outside Vitreous' reach. Purple energy infused the earth and brought up clouds of steam. As Goldar appeared on the planet, he instantly grew several stories tall, laughing maniacally.

Just then, Misty and the medical trucks were coming up to the same scene. They immediately stopped as Goldar stepped forward, readying his jagged sword.

"Aw man, it's that gold guy!" a terrified driver said.

"Everyone just keep going!" another one shouted over the radio.

"He's right," Misty said over a communications patch she made with them. "Keep driving while I deal with Gorilla-Boy here. I'll cover you!"

"Big words coming from a bratty little girl!" Goldar screamed, charging toward the Saber-Toothed Tiger, which dodged the strike. The trucks revved up and headed off toward Feron Grove.

Rita's warrior juked and kept his blade at the ready, trying to outdo the Dinozord's agility. Saber-Toothed Tiger was too quick and too nimble, kicking at Goldar with heavy blows and ripping at his arm with its fangs. As Goldar buckled, Misty went to lunge for a huge tackle. The ape-griffin beast was playing possum, however, as he leapt in the air and sent the mech flying with a huge dropkick. Nearby townspeople and farmers screamed and headed indoors as they saw the Zord tumble.

As Misty tried to recover, Goldar assailed her with fiery bolts from his eyes and a swipe from his sword, sending the tiger rolling around on the huge hills.

"Without your friends, you are nothing!" the villain taunted, going to kick his enemy in the head.

Misty struggled to bring her Zord to its feet once more. One more hit from Goldar and she might be done for.

"That's what you think!" Misty challenged, bringing her palms together. "Dino Crystal!" She again formed her yellow crystal, placing it in the Dinozord's control deck. She moved it forward and pushed another button on her console, and the Saber-Toothed Tiger emitted a powerful scream from its mouth, repelling Goldar back and to the surface. The sound waves went way past him and struck Vitreous in the distance, forcing the monster to quiver and groan again.

_"Huh? That actually hurt it?" _Yellow Ranger pondered, rearing her Zord back up.

"Lucky shot, Power Ranger," Goldar growled, drawing his sword once more. "But it's the last one you will ever make…Agh!"

Goldar exhaled a throaty roar, suddenly finding himself hoisted high in the air. Even though he couldn't see it, Tyrannosaurus Dinozord was suddenly behind him, pulling his tail and spinning him like a ribbon, tossing him to the side. Mastodon, Pterodactyl, and Triceratops were at its side, launching energy blasts at Goldar as well.

"Wow! Decide to join the fun?" Misty said.

"What's a meteor shower party without some more fireworks?" Brock joked.

"Yeah!" Ash cut in. "Now let's show him some Megazord power!"

As quickly as Goldar recovered, the five Dinozords brought themselves together as one. As soon as he cleared the dust from his eyes, Pterodactyl had attached itself to the super-robot's chest and the Megazord's horns fanned out, the eyes glowing with Morphin Power.

"Megazord Activated!" the robotic voice proclaimed as lightning struck near the Triceratops and Saber-Toothed Tiger legs.

"Power Sword!" the Rangers called out, summoning their huge silver melee weapon from the sky. Megazord assumed the sword and stepped in to meet Goldar, the setting sun causing both of the fighters to gleam. Swords clashed, and the two circled around, each one trying to force back the other. As Goldar turned to face south, he grinned and chuckled devilishly, suddenly backing off.

"Our duel can wait for now," he said, his sword suddenly vanishing. "I'll return when Vitreous turns your city to cinders!" And with that, he was gone.

The Megazord executed a sharp 180-degree turn and faced the inevitable horror: Vitreous now surrounded all of Feron Grove, its internal tentacles dangling further and further downward. The Power Rangers were in shock.

"It wasn't descending that fast a while ago!" Tracey shouted. "It was a setup the whole time!"

"No wonder the tentacles didn't attack the trucks when they came in…" Lia said glumly, putting her hand to her helmet."

"It's okay, Rangers," Ash commented. "Now we can destroy Vitreous from the outside where it can't strike us."

"Wait, what is it doing now?!" Brock cried, pointing forward. The humongous jellyfish had indeed encapsulated the whole city, but now the mass was starting to quiver, almost as if it were shrinking down to embrace everything.

"Oh no…" Misty uttered, realizing what was happening.


	8. Crystal Aura

The entire hospital staff was at the ready as soon as the Riko EMTs arrived with the antidotes. They had spread out throughout the entire complex, immediately injecting every ill victim with the cure-all. In a matter of moments, kids and adults of all ages saw their chills, pangs, and vomiting subside, and their paralyzed limbs were suddenly mobile.

"I can move! I can move!" Corey exclaimed, jumping out of his hospital bed and celebrating with the other kids in the room.

"I knew the Power Rangers would come through! I knew it!" Rena cried, giving Ms. Mika a huge hug. The teacher smiled and laughed. Hayashi was smiling as well and tussling a couple kids' hair, when the cheers morphed into horrified screams.

"The monster's caving in! It's caving in!" one of the nurses screamed, trying to usher the children away, but it was no use as they spied upon Vitreous and hollered. The alien that surrounded Feron Grove was pulsating and drawing itself in, dropping its tentacles lower and lower, touching and zapping buildings and tall trees.

"Get inside!" a police officer outside yelled to curious citizens peeking out their windows and doors. "Everyone get inside _now!_" Everyone heeded his words and locked themselves inside their homes an businesses, absolutely terrified.

As the monster continued to constrict itself, the Megazord was fast approaching with the Power Sword held high.

"That's it!" Red Ranger roared, gripping his controls tight. "Let's finish him!"

"Right!" the others responded, preparing for the final blow, all five bellowing "Plasma Slash!" Lightning and cosmic energy enveloped the Megazord and its saber, the mech's eyes glowing gold. In one swift movement, Megazord jettisoned forward and swung the energized blade at Vitreous. In the same moments, the jellyfish rebounded the strike and all of the power behind it, making the fighting machine rocket several miles back through the air in a flurry of flame, sparks, and Ranger screams, tearing up the grass and foliage on the rolling hills.

Riko farmers and townsfolk were still outside on their property surveying the action. Not a single person's jaw was closed after seeing the Megazord felled.

"No way..." a farm boy drawled, adjusting his hat.

"How is that thing still standing?!" a shopkeeper asked, having dropped a whole case of milk jugs on the floor.

The Power Rangers had no idea either. Megazord laid on the surface, its form charred and throwing off sparks.

"What are we gonna do?" Black Ranger asked, trying to raise the shields, which were nearly depleted. The auxiliary power was all but lost during the Plasma Slash. "I can't believe it just keeps throwing every move back at us!"

"We need to move fast! That thing's almost swallowed the whole city!" Pink Ranger added, striking her control panel. The Megazord could barely twitch a finger.

"Wait!" Yellow Ranger interjected, turning to the team. "When I used my Dino Crystal against Goldar, my Zord's Sonic Scream did hit Vitreous and hurt it! The crystals must be the answer again!"

"That's right!" Blue Ranger said, punching his hand. "If we use all of our crystal power, we can defeat the monster!"

Ash looked toward Feron Grove. He couldn't tell where the city started and Vitreous began, and he didn't want to find out. "Then that's what we'll do!" he ordered. "Power up your crystals!"

"Engage Dino Crystals!" the Power Rangers yelled, drawing the gems from the heart of the Morphing Grid and combining them with their controls. The Megazord's eyes flashed with a rainbow of light, its body surging with power.

"Let's rev up with the Dino Tank!" Misty shouted.

The Power Rangers configured the Megazord to its tank mode, the Mastodon forming arm cannons and the head forming a chest shield, the Pterodactyl perching itself on top of the tank, the Tyrannosaurus' head reemerging, and the Saber-Toothed Tiger and Triceratops forming rolling legs. The Dino Tank barreled back toward town, each second feeling like an eternity for the pilots.

"Don't look..." a man at the Feron Grove hospital told his son, holding him close. "Don't look..." Other children cried and adults shuddered as the poisonous surges wracked the building, breaking some of the windows.

"Wait, look!" Hayashi exhaled, holding one of the kids under his arms. "Look!" Everyone in the room looked to see the Dino Tank racing toward the city, keeping their eyes locked on the vehicle even as the danger got closer.

"This is all we've got..." Ash said back in the tank. "Let's make it count..."

"Crystal Aura!" the five heroes yelled, thrusting their crystal controls up. Each Dinozord's eyes radiated with ethereal light as red, blue, pink, purple, and yellow energy bolts flew from their corneas, lighting up the dusk outside and hitting Vitreous all over its frame. The gelatinous creep droned and shook violently as the brilliant bolts continued to strike and illuminate the sky. The attack was too much for the monster, as it quickly disintegrated into a shower of space dust, sprinkling down and dissipating into nothingness.

Everyone within sight of the battle, in Feron Grove and in Riko, cheered and jumped happily, embracing their loved ones and shaking hands. They celebrated the Power Rangers' victory for them, as the heroes slumped tiredly behind the controls of the Dino Tank, breathing sighs of relief.

Later that night, the masses returned to the Feron Grove beachside, setting up blankets and telescopes again in anticipation of the meteor shower and talking about the exciting events of the day.

The five Power Rangers, clad again in their purple school shirts and beachwear, stepped gingerly across the sand, leading a group of kids who had their eyes glued upward.

"Did you see those lasers?" one of the girls asked. "They were amazing!"

"Yeah, that jellyfish just went BOOM!" Nicky laughed, running off to the water. The other kids went to join him, leaving the teens to chuckle to themselves.

"Look at those stars," Misty remarked. "They're so beautiful."

"Yeah," Brock added, taking a deep breath. "The night sky always looks great."

"Good thing the shower's soon..." Tracey yawned, stretching his sore arms. "I could just pass out."

At that second, Hayashi ran up behind the group and slapped Tracey on the back, who grimaced a little but shrugged. "Hey guys," Hayashi said. "I'm so glad that you're alright. Where were you today?"

"Well, that monster showed up just as we left the beach," Ash said, rubbing his shoulder. "We had to make sure our families were okay."

"I was with 'em, bro, so don't worry," Lia added, clapping her brother's shoulder.

"Ha. I never worry about you," Hayashi said, nudging her. "But seriously, I'm just glad the Riko medics came in with the medicines. I can't believe how fast it worked."

Misty smiled at his remark. "Yeah, well thank you for looking out for everyone today, Hayashi. We can always count on you."

"You betcha," Hayashi said back, smiling, shrugging and going off to see a couple of his friends.

Brock nudged Ash's shoulder, who then said. "Yeah, and I gotta thank you, Misty. You really took charge today and showed Rita who's boss."

Misty watched Ash rub the back of his neck and giggled lightly. "Don't worry," she teased. "I'm used to it."

Both playfully hit each other's shoulders before someone yelled, "Look! It's starting!"

The group looked up at the sky and oohed and ahhed along with the crowd at what they saw. Several huge points of light began to streak diagonally across the evening sky. People peered through their telescopes and binoculars to see the magnificent meteors, and everyone applauded and shouted at the show. The Power Rangers looked at each other with warmth and fatigue, glad that everyone was together and safe once again.

While Feron Grove marveled at the meteor shower, Rita Repulsa was concentrating as hard as she could, squinting her coal-black eyes at the Earth through the circular part of her staff. Goldar, Squatt, Baboo, and Finster knelt at her feet in submission, Goldar even moreso in shame.

"You just couldn't stay out there, could you, you dunderhead?" Ria snapped at her warrior. Goldar said nothing, making nary a sound, and the other toadies didn't try to make fun of him.

"I have an idea..."Rita said, the attached red bulb on her staff glowing. "But is it him?"

As the meteor shower continued, an image began to form in the middle of the wand-the face of Hayashi.

"Perfect," the evil queen said with a smile. She unfurled her left fist and flipped a small, gold circular object in the air, catching it. "Perfect..."

NEXT TIME ON POWER RANGERS

Tracey looks to improve his combat skills without the aid of his Ranger powers, but he faces a tough test when Rita unleashes the martial arts menace Shihan Hideous to terrorize the team. Can the Blue Ranger engineer a solution to this threat, and what's next for Rita's pursuit of Hayashi? Find out next time!


End file.
